The Breakdown

Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore's comments on senior players this week will make long-suffering Wallabies fans keep the faith and may even encourage supporters who have turned away from the side to take another look.

Wallabies fans have been put through the wringer in the past two years. And despite the troubles something has largely been absent: the willingness of someone, anyone, to step forward and take some responsibility.

Moore has changed that with his remarks in London. His message was this: You know what, it wasn't really individual A, or person B, or situation C. It was me. I did something, or did not do something, that contributed to the collective failure and I am willing to take responsibility for my share.

That is a simple but arresting act of leadership that could be a watershed moment for the Wallabies in two separate but not unrelated areas: their connection to supporters and their performance on the field.

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Moore took a bit of a risk with his remarks. In fact, some might say that it is a bit late. But this is why it means something: it comes with a price, the potential hit he was prepared to take to his own name. This puts it on a subtly but significantly different level from "the boys are loving the new environment" messages that have become the language of modern sporting teams. Moore's mea culpa was a grown-up message from hard-won experience.

Perhaps, at 30, the hooker knows there are only three or four years left and he's got to make them count. Perhaps Moore's recent involvement with the players' union, RUPA, in its discussions with the ARU on the new pay deal gave him an insight into the precarious state of the union. Perhaps Ewen McKenzie has told the older players they weren't doing enough.

Regardless, it taps into something that has been a problem for the Wallabies in recent years. In the big games, when the pressure really comes on, the senior players haven't delivered as you might hope. In the World Cup semi-final, Richie McCaw dominated on one leg, and in the third British and Irish Lions Test, Alun Wyn Jones, replacing Sam Warburton as captain, was one of the commanding forces.

In 2012 the Wallabies were beaten soundly in Paris in a manner that suggested the preparation wasn't what it should have been. That had nothing to do with Gen Y, or The Three Amigos – only one of them, Kurtley Beale, was there.

But that is to stray too far down the path of apportioning blame to others, a behaviour that Moore's honest stance resists, and admirably so. For it's not just the detail in Moore's comments that is important, it is the principle of individual accountability that underlines it. He stood up.

Does all of this mean the Wallabies will beat England this weekend? Not necessarily, of course, although they must surely make hay from the inexperienced likes of Marland Yarde and Joel Tomkins. They received a decent return from attacking the All Blacks new outside-centre and winger, Ben Smith and Charles Piutau, in Dunedin two weeks ago and the winning of the Twickenham Test is in repeating that.

But if Moore's comments are reflective of a harder, more demanding edge from the older heads in the Wallabies group, it will only take them in one direction. Now the challenge is to enforce these standards.

How important is this tour for the health of Australian rugby? Its significance is contained in one depressing fact: Australia's Super Rugby coaching teams cannot find enough Australians of the requisite quality to fill their squads. And these are panels containing proud former Wallabies, whose first instinct is to give local talent a chance.

It's very important – and it sounds like the Wallabies know it.

16 comments so far

Re the comments in the second last paragraph, ".......cannot find enough Australians of the requisite quality to fill their squads". My son started playing rugby in Under 7's because a development officer from Randwick Rugby visited his primary school asking if any of the boys were willing to give rugby a try. My son is 22 and still playing rugby. Rugby development officers need to be visiting schools all around the country but specially to schools in the rugby league heartland in NSW and Queensland. Give boys a choice, league or rugby or play both, like my son did. Where is the accountability of the ARU?

Commenter

Old Hickory

Location

Maroubra

Date and time

October 31, 2013, 8:26PM

Oh geez here we go again. If only the Wallabies could play half as well as they talk. If you didn't know better you'd think the Wallabies had beaten someone other than Argentina this year...

Commenter

Crispy

Date and time

October 31, 2013, 10:20PM

@ Crispy

'....you'd think the Wallabies had beaten someone other than Argentina this year...'

Yeah...yeah...they beat themselves quiet convincingly as well... and I think that the gist of Cully's article ? But hey @ Crispy don't let that get in your way.

Commenter

Machooka

Location

inner west Sydney

Date and time

November 01, 2013, 8:14AM

Don't know what article you read crispy, it doesn't talk about how good the wallabies are going if anything it is a self deprecating piece on accountability, read the article before commenting. Kiwi I'm guessing.

Commenter

JB

Location

Sydney

Date and time

November 01, 2013, 10:09AM

@ Crispy, The comments by Paul Cully and Stephen Moore have got nothing to do with the Wallabies talking themselves up. I don't know what you're on about pal.

Commenter

Old Hickory

Location

Maroubra

Date and time

November 01, 2013, 10:13AM

WTF are you on about...did you even read the article?

Commenter

Redmond

Location

Redtown

Date and time

November 01, 2013, 11:59AM

What, like the British and Irish Lions in Melbourne?

Commenter

Squiggle

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

November 01, 2013, 12:08PM

"there is no 'I' in team..."...Gen 'Y' needs to learn that lesson, and quickly. "Squib" has said what every senior player should be thinking...the chance to wear ANY national jersey is an honour and no one or group is bigger than the team.Win, lose, draw...whatever, but do so with respect for who you represent.

Commenter

Bfc

Location

via HK

Date and time

October 31, 2013, 10:22PM

Stephen Moore deserves probably 'more' respect than anybody else in the team. He's been a legend, plugging away, playing brilliant while things haven't been so sweet for the Wallabies, rarely dropping his standards. He's probably a bit quiet for captain material but almost always leads by example. Against the All Blacks at Suncorp in 2011 he was unbelievable and a sight to behold in full flight. One of the best Wallabies ever in my opinion. I hope he makes it to 2015. Few players deserve it .... more.

Commenter

johnny-boy

Date and time

November 01, 2013, 11:35AM

Gee, johnny boy, a half sensible comment - you can stay out of your cave for an hour....but slightly over rating Mr Moore, he tries hard and a typical 'not quite as tough as he should be ' in your face hooker, slightly under par by international standards though. Not one to be afraid of in a dark alley.